Halfmoon Diner (Clifton Park, NY)

March 3, 2019 By Hollie in Diners Tags: coffee, Diner, dinner, food, lamb, new york, review, salad 3 Comments

While in New York, I wanted to go to a new diner. New York State, has plenty of diners throughout the state and I’ve been to a fair share from Long Island to the City, Albany, Syracuse, the North Country, and Buffalo. It’s funny; when I went to college in Upstate NY, I spent the least amount of time in Albany. Since moving away, I’ve spent more time in Albany than the rest of the area.

When we arrived at the Halfmoon Diner, it wasn’t crowded, but when we left, it was clear it was the place to be.

Atmosphere: A
The Halfmoon Diner is everything you expect in a stereotypical diner. It’s a big shiny, metallic, building, with plenty of mirrors, and windows.

The inside has plenty of booths, tables, a full-length bar, and a good looking dessert case.

Coffee (and Wine!):
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh. The waitress brought plenty of refills.

My meal actually came with a small glass of wine. I choose red, and it was delicious. It was the first diner meal I’ve had that has come with wine, so that was fun.

Food: C
The Halfmoon Diner has plenty of specials. There is everything you want in a diner and with plenty of specials. I decided to order the “leg of lamb” special. It came with A LOT of food. Soup, salad, wine, and two sides. On paper, that sounds awesome.

I decided to order the beet salad which was an extra $3 but was worth it. The beets on top were great, but the lettuce was watery and had no green to it.

For my soup, I chose the Manhatten clam chowder. This was one of my more favorite parts of the meal. There was plenty of clams and the red sauce was good.

My roast leg of lamb was drowning in brown gravy. It was dry and didn’t taste fresh. To me, it felt as though the meal was taken from a bunch of frozen food, reheated and brought out. I expected a leg of lamb, it was a few slices of lamb underneath brown gravy.

My two sides broccoli and french fries were both frozen and reheated. The broccoli was good, but the crinkle fries were bland, and I was too full to finish them.

In all, the food was decent and right down the middle. It was nothing interesting or fancy but edible.

Service: A
The waitress was one of the best waitresses I’ve had at a diner. Our food came out fast, she gave recommendations for good options, and she was friendly. She made the visit worth it.

Cost: $
For all of my food, plus the extra $3 for the salad, it was only $18.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?
The Halfmoon Diner was good. The food was boring, but there was plenty of food. It’s a stereotypical diner and a decent stop in the greater Albany area.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee/Wine: A
Food: B
Service: A
Cost: $8-$15
Overall: B

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite type of wine?
Do you like lamb?

Golden Palace Diner (Millville)

February 16, 2019 By Hollie in Diners Tags: coffee, Diner, dinner, Fish, food, new jersey, review 5 Comments

Last week, I went to the Golden Palace Diner in Millville, NJ. It’s one of the few diners I haven’t been too in super south Jersey. In fact, it might be the last one I needed to go too in Cumberland County. Anyway, I arrived around dinner time, and it wasn’t too crowded.

Atmosphere: A
The Golden Palace Diner is a clean and modern diner. There are plenty of booths and tables. There is a full-length bar as well as a large dessert case too. It’s as much as a stereotypical NJ diner as you can get.

Coffee: B
The coffee was given in a tiny mug. It was good coffee, but I felt like I finished a cup in one small sip. The waitress gave refills, but I hate when restaurants give tiny cups for both water or coffee. Give a regular size cup, not 4 ounces.

Food: A
The Golden Palace has everything a typical NJ diner would have. There is all day breakfast, lunch, and plenty of dinner options too. I noticed the “salmon sizzler” which intrigued me. The dinner meals came with a bread basket. I must admit, it was one of the better bread baskets I’ve had!

I’ve never seen a salmon sizzler anywhere. I’ve seen poultry and beef sizzler but never seafood. I decided to order it.

When it came out, it was hot and definitely sizzling. There were mixed vegetables on top of two filets of salmon. It was a lot of food. It was cooked well, and I enjoyed the meal.

Service: A
The waitress was friendly and refilled our beverages often. The food came out quickly, and I have no complaints.

Cost: $
For my sizzling salmon and coffee, it was $19.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come back?
I liked the Golde Palace Diner, and it’s definitely one of my more favorite diners in the area. It’s a great stop if you’re coming home from the shore.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $10-20
Overall: A

You Can See All 230 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
Have you tried a sizzling meal?
What is your favorite type of fish?

Bridgeport Flyer Diner (Mildford, CT)

August 5, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: bread pudding, connecticut, Diner, dinner, food, Prime Rib, review

Over the last few months, I’ve been to Connecticut far more than ever! That includes going to a couple of new diners too! Recently I was in the Bridgeport and Milford area and decided to stop at the Bridgeport Flyer Diner. I was hungry, and it was close.

Atmosphere: A
When I arrived around dinner time, it wasn’t too crowded. The outside is that of many diners. It’s modern but clean. There is nothing unusual or that stands out, minus the sign that says “busses welcome.”

When I went in, the waitress motioned to sit anywhere I pleased, and I got a fun locals vibe from it. I chose a booth since they are my preference.

Coffee: B
There was nothing unique or unusual about the coffee, but it was good. The waitress refilled it a few times.

Food: A
The Bridgeport Flyer Diner has many options whether you want all day breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There was almost a full page of specials which caught my eye. I decided to order the prime rib which came with salad, vegetable, and dessert.

Since I was hungry, I also ordered the Mezze platter which was a Mediterranian platter with chicken, gyro, olives, tomatoes, salad, hummus, pita bread, and feta. In short, I ordered way too much food but had no regrets. Very few mezze platters include chicken and gyro, so it was a nice treat. The appetizer itself was great, and so much food. It could easily be a meal for someone.

My prime rib was cooked perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for better prime rib and was a thick cut, cooked medium rare. I was pleased. I chose French fries and carrots for my sides but was rather full for the fries.

Dessert: B
Since my meal came with dessert, I ordered the bread pudding. It was decent bread pudding, not my favorite but not my least. It was good, and I would order it again.

Service: A
The waitress was one of the most friendly of any diner waitress I’ve had. She was friendly, attentive, and seemed to know every local that stopped by.

Cost: $
For my prime rib, coffee, and mezze platter, it was about $35. It was enough for 3 people.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come back:
I liked the Bridgeport Flyer Diner, and I would definitely go back if the opportunity presents itself.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Dessert: B
Service: A
Cost: $10-20

Overall: A

You can see all diner reviews here,

Questions for you:

Do you like prime rib?

Are you a local anywhere?

Meal Planning for Two

March 9, 2018 By Hollie in Food, Sponsored Tags: cooking, dinner, food, military, sponsored 16 Comments

Recently, my husband came home from another deployment. Since living in New Jersey, it is either 6 or 7, but I can’t remember. Homecomings are always great, and since then we’ve had an incredible time together.

Getting back into a routine (for both of us), takes a couple of weeks. It’s a bit of challenge going from one person to two again in the house. Things like making dinner for two or meal ideas change. With my husband’s short but frequent deployments, I never quite get into a routine of making dinner for one or two. We’ve learned to cook more together and you can see more from culinary lab.

Recently, I discovered Frelii which is a monthly subscription service that provides a customized exercise and dietary plan based on your personal needs. This post is sponsored by Frelii, but all thoughts, and opinions are my own.

What is Frelii?

Frelii is a preventative medicine is designed to give the best options for a healthier lifestyle. Preventative means it’s not meant to diagnose a health condition or concern. It does not take the place of a doctor or medical professional.

Like with running shoes, every person is unique and different from one another. Frelii aims to provide people with the knowledge, recipes, and even products to leave healthier lives.

For many people that is losing weight or even gaining weight. For my husband and I, it was to prepare meals that were best fitted to our needs both physically and mentally but not as a dieting program! Frelii helps each person differently.

After filling out a short questionnaire, each Frelii member is made aware of any potential health hazards and risk factors in their life.

They tailor meal plans, foods, and the entire program to what will help lead to a more balanced life. There is even an option to purchase vitamins and supplements that help your specific needs. As a public health major in college, I appreciate Frelii recommends people get their blood work done before buying vitamins/supplements. It never supports anything in the place of a doctor.

It took about 20 minutes to the complete the survey but when I finished it listed one of my health hazards as mood and depression. It was spot on, as I’ve talked openly about having both anxiety and college through college.

Just as they provide meal plans, Frelii also recommends exercise plans for those who want it. Personally, I have stuck with the meal and recipe side because I do prefer that for running but it’s nice to know it’s out there!

The Meals:

By far my favorite component of Frelii is the meal plans and new recipes they provide. There are a lot of new and fun recipes that I would have never thought twice to try but once they recommended them…I figured might as well!

Another thing, I appreciate about Frelii is how quick meals can be made. I don’t like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and will also choose healthy, fast options, over the top dinners that take an hour or two to cook. They are simple, easy, and affordable. We could make time to spend an hour or two in the kitchen, we would instead make time for other things.

Here are a few meals we chose to make:

We’ve made several more and Frelii has a database of hundreds so there is something for everyone.

Peanut Pancakes Using Almond flour and Eggs:

Spinach, Kale, and Farmers Quiche

Roasted Cauliflower and Beets.

Before cooking cauliflower, I had one bad experience and never tried cooking it again.

Sausage and Spinach Pasta with Mozzarella

We’ve made several more and it’s been a fun and unique experience. Thank you Frelii for sponsoring this post!

Questions for you:
How long on average do you spend to cook dinner?
If you or your spouse travels or is gone, do you find it difficult to get back into a routine?

Meal Favorites

February 17, 2016 By Hollie in Food Tags: breakfast, dinner, food, health, lunch, salmon, steak 27 Comments

When I wrote my last post about food, I had no idea how the post would be perceived. Since I no longer write much about food, you never know how readers might respond. Everyone needs to eat, and food and nutrition are an important part of running and working out.

I thought it would be interesting to showcase some of my favorite foods and meal staples. I’m not great at cooking, and I don’t shop at a lot of specialty stores. Most of my shopping comes from the three closest grocery stores to me: Wegmans, Shoprite and Whole Foods.

I shop at Wegmans and Shoprite for most of my groceries and Whole Foods for fish, steak, and some produce.

When someone asks your favorite food, I feel like it’s a weird question. You can’t compare items like steak to donuts, both are delicious but it’s hard to compare. I have a lot of favorite foods. I like sugary treats, but I also like a big juicy steak too.

Favorite breakfast item:

Breakfast is easy for me. I have a waffle with peanut butter. I’ve been doing this for years, and it’s always worked for me. I eat a waffle every morning, whether I’m running, racing or just resting. I’ve never had a stomach issue. I use Bisquick and just add water. I also use flour, egg, baking powder and milk if I don’t have the mix. I can usually run between 1-2 hours after eating. I don’t like to run on an empty stomach. I generally eat within 20 minutes of waking up, relax and then go for a run 1-2 hours later.

Artsy waffle for you

Lunch:

Lunch depends on if I’m at home or if I’m at work. Most people know I work at a local running store. It’s hard to predict a day in a retail store and no two days are the same. I can’t plan to bring a big meal because I might not have time to eat it. I could have plenty of time, or I could be snacking the entire day. I’ve become used to it, though, and I honestly don’t mind either way.

I usually pack easy to eat sandwiches or bars so that if we get slammed, I can still eat. It’s not like I can tell a customer “Go away I’ve got to get my lunch on”. I’ve been looking for an easy “bar” recipe if anyone has any.

Some quick and easy staples. Sometimes quick and easy means I order down the road from work:

Power bars are one of my favorites, especially the cookie dough

French toast bagels from Panera make their appearence often.

French toast bagels from Panera make their appearance often

Quick and easy salads

I crave soup in the winter. My two favorites are split pea and lentil

I crave soup in the winter. My two favorite kinds of soup are split pea and lentil

I recently got a take out pita bead sandwich which has become one of my favorite lunch buys.

I recently got a takeout pita bread sandwich which has become one of my favorite lunch buys. It has pesto, chicken, and melted feta

Dinner:

I’ve said this more times than I can remember, but I am a very simple dinner person. I like meat, potato and vegetable. I rotate through all of them, but both my husband and I aren’t fancy cooks. Our meals tend to take between 15-30 minutes to cook. Luckily my husband is the same way. He cooks the meat, and I prepare everything else.

Some of our favorite meats:

steak
salmon or any pink fish (we aren’t fans of too many white fish)
chicken
Squid (yes, one of my favorite, if not favorite meats is squid)

Steak and kale (I love T-bone steaks because they are so fatty, anyone else?)

Another T-bone

Sea Bass and Squid from the other night

The usual suspects

We frequently cook some vegetable or have a salad. My current favorite vegetables are eggplant and squash, but it varies.

Vegetables of (current) choice:

eggplant and squash
asparagus

Eggplant sauteed in oil and garlic is the easiest and most deliscious vegeatble

Eggplant sauteed in oil and garlic is the easiest and most delicious vegetable

Then, of course, there is the grain/potato portion of dinner. Current favorites include

Pasta or rice (because it takes 5 minutes!) I went through a phase with pasta where I didn’t eat it much and always chose other items over it. Now I can’t get enough.
Sweet or normal potatoes
Bread from Panera. If you recall, my husband won a year supply of Panera bread from a race last year, and we use it to buy a loaf. Panera bread goes well with everything in my life.

Pasta with spinach and cheese

As you can see, my husband and I are simple eaters. We don’t spend hours creating perfect food dishes. Spending a few hours is some people’s hobby, but we know we like fast, simple and easy food! We save fancy eating for going out.

Questions for you:

Do you prefer cooking simple food or fancier recipes?

Does anyone have any “bar” recipes?

FueledByLOLZ

Running and Laughing through the Garden State

Tag Archives: dinner